At the beginning, I cleaned the Sutra Library and completed the incomplete skills.

Li Lan watched this farce with cold eyes, having long since grown used to it.

This was the Cultivation World.

Outer Sect Senior Brothers seemingly got along well on the surface.

But if their personal interests were involved, they would instantly become hostile, even turning on each other.

The surrounding mortals only now belatedly realized that something significant might have happened.

Like ants returning to their nest, they quickly began to converge on the area, causing the scene to become chaotic.

Before it became too crowded to move, Li Lan quickly pushed through the crowd and left.

Compared to waiting here to watch the Outer Sect Elders arrive and argue over the Heavenly Spiritual Root, he had more important things to do.

Leaving the Dust Washing Ceremony registration area, he immediately felt his ears quiet down.

There were still many mortals ascending the steps, but only Li Lan was descending the mountain.

He did not stop, heading straight for the Scripture Pavilion.

At this moment.

As news of a mortal possessing a Heavenly Spiritual Root spread, almost everyone went to watch the excitement.

The Scripture Pavilion was exceptionally quiet compared to before.

Li Lan did not go to the incomplete cultivation technique area as he usually did.

Instead, he went to the main hall for the first time.

Piled here were all complete cultivation technique books.

They were specifically prepared for handyman disciples who had not yet reached the Qi Refining First Level, and Outer Sect disciples with ordinary aptitude.

The quality of the cultivation techniques here was far more than one or two grades lower than those in the incomplete cultivation technique area.

As for those slightly better quality complete cultivation techniques, they naturally would not be placed here for others to use freely.

Even so.

The cultivation techniques here only contained the first half, just enough for a cultivator to cultivate to the Qi Refining First Level.

Only by formally becoming a disciple under an Outer Sect Elder could one obtain the later cultivation chapters of the technique from him.

It wasn't just Guangji Temple that did this.

This was also a common method used by most sects in the Cultivation World to control their disciples.

Li Lan did not come for these cultivation techniques.

He walked directly to a row of bookshelves and took out many hand-drawn drafts from between two cultivation technique books.

These were the insights and experiences left by Outer Sect disciples when they broke through to the Qi Refining First Level in previous years.

In Li Lan's heart at this moment.

All those complete cultivation techniques combined were probably not as important as this stack of insights.

"Absorb qi into the body, gather qi into a mass, compress into a vortex..."

He compared these Senior cultivation insights with his own situation, confirming there were no discrepancies.

Only then did Li Lan truly breathe a sigh of relief.

In fact, he had already read these insights countless times over the past year.

He was also well aware of the entire process for breaking through the Qi Refining Stage in his heart.

But the cautious Li Lan still specifically came here to review them again, just to be absolutely sure.

Since the process was fine, the next step was simply to continue compressing the spiritual power within his dantian.

The first step is always the hardest.

Now that the spiritual power vortex in Li Lan's dantian had formed, the subsequent steps would naturally be much simpler.

He was thinking this in his heart.

The draft insights in his hand were suddenly covered by a shadow.

Li Lan looked up and saw the white-haired old man Zhou Huairen, looking like a beggar, standing before him like a ghost again.

He composed himself, performed a Taoist bow, and respectfully said:

"Greetings, Senior Uncle Zhou."

Zhou Huairen examined him up and down for a long time, his expression immediately sinking.

"Stubborn brat, only seeking temporary pleasure, completely disregarding the consequences!"

"Disobeying an old man's words leads to immediate loss!"

Unlike Tie Niu, whose cultivation was still low, this old man had clearly seen the changes in Li Lan's cultivation.

Li Lan also knew very well what the other party's words meant.

He had a calm expression and bowed back, replying:

"This junior seriously considered Senior Uncle Zhou's words before deciding to embark on this path."

"With this junior's aptitude, if I don't take this path, I'm afraid I'll have no chance with the immortal path in this life."

"Although taking this path may also mean being forever stuck at a certain realm due to the incomplete cultivation technique, this junior will not regret it."

"Compared to living a mediocre life, this junior still wants to give my all to fight for something in the rest of my life."

"Even the light of a glow-worm must contend with the sun and moon."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Huairen immediately froze in place.

The young man's calm words were like a sharp sword, piercing directly into his heart.

At this moment.

Zhou Huairen's mind was filled with the young man's last sentence.

Even the light of a glow-worm must contend with the sun and moon?

A short sentence, yet it fully displayed the young man's innate pride and unyielding resilience.

It was also this sentence that completely blocked the words Zhou Huairen was about to say in his throat.

He re-examined the young man before him with a strange expression, as if seeing him for the first time.

Ultimately, a thousand words only turned into a cold snort.

Zhou Huairen flicked his patched sleeve and turned to leave without looking back.

At this moment, Li Lan noticed the drafts suddenly felt much heavier.

Looking down, he saw a palm-sized white jade porcelain bottle had appeared on top of them.

Before Li Lan could figure out what it was, Zhou Huairen's voice entered his ears again.

"Smooth-talking brat! Take this qi refining pill and scram quickly, don't be an eyesore to this old man."

Hearing the other party's voice transmission, Li Lan was slightly startled.

He hadn't expected this eccentric old man to actually help him.

Although the qi refining pill was considered a cheap, common item in the eyes of Outer Sect disciples.

In Li Lan's eyes at this moment, it was an absolute rarity.

Having experienced hardship and grievances, a trace of warmth rose in Li Lan's heart.

He suppressed his emotions, performed another Taoist bow towards the direction Zhou Huairen had left.

And respectfully said:

"Senior Uncle Zhou's great kindness, this junior has noted it, and will repay it in the future!"

Unexpectedly, Zhou Huairen's cold snort came again.

"Since you are willing to jump into the fire pit, this old man doesn't mind giving you a push."

"But remember this, this pill isn't given to you for free. After the Dust Washing Ceremony, when you receive your stipend, you must repay this old man double!"

Only after the voice completely faded did Li Lan straighten up, carefully placing the white porcelain bottle into his embrace.

Judge by actions, not by heart; if by heart, there are no good people.

Regardless of Zhou Huairen's purpose in giving him the pill, Li Lan had already记this kindness in his heart.

After reviewing the insights on the drafts again, he put them back on the bookshelf.

Immediately after, Li Lan left the Scripture Pavilion.

After walking around, his physical and mental state had adjusted considerably.

Without a moment's hesitation.

Li Lan returned to the bamboo hut and, racing against time, entered cultivation state once more.

Compared to the first time, he now had experience.

Compressing the spiritual power within his dantian was also much more practiced.

Time always flies when cultivating.

When he opened his eyes again, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

Li Lan rubbed his sore and numb legs, letting out a soft breath.

Although due to his spiritual root aptitude, he still failed to fully break through to the Qi Refining First Level this time.

But Li Lan wasn't without any gains.

Upon introspection, the spiritual power vortex in his dantian was slightly denser than before.

He did not feel impatient or anxious because of the slow cultivation process.

The year of working odd jobs at Guangji Temple had made Li Lan's temperament exceptionally steady.

He took out the white porcelain bottle given by Zhou Huairen, tilted it slightly, and a fingernail-sized, earthy yellow pill rolled into his palm.

The surface of the pill was not very smooth, with fine textures, like the cracks in dry earth.

Li Lan held the pill in his hand.

Instantly, he felt a faint earthy smell mixed with a subtle medicinal fragrance waft towards him.

Although this qi refining pill was small, its medicinal effect was as precious as timely rain to Li Lan at this moment.

While increasing the speed of absorbing and converting spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

It could also consolidate the toughness of the cultivator's meridians and nourish the fragile dantian.

Greatly reducing the risk of spiritual power backlash during cultivation.

This pill melted upon entering his stomach.

Li Lan felt a warm medicinal power, like a trickling stream, rapidly flowing through his meridians.

He did not hesitate, striking while the iron was hot, and entered cultivation state again.

In the time that followed.

Aside from eating and sleeping, Li Lan devoted almost all his energy to cultivation.

Time flew by like a white steed glimpsed through a crack, passing in an instant.

Soon, the day of the Guangji Temple Dust Washing Ceremony arrived.